KU events this week: KU students organize run for Boston victims

This week appears to be the calm before the commencement storm at KU: Things are pretty quiet event-wise, at least as quiet as they can be on a campus this big.

So I'll use this week's events roundup mostly to draw your eyes to one event that probably does merit a few minutes of your attention.

We told you a few weeks back about one effort mounted quickly by KU students to help victims of the Boston Marathon bombing, and here's another one: Another group has organized a 5K/10K run for this weekend to raise more funds, called "Freedom on the Hill." It's set for 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Sunday (Mother's Day) on the KU West Campus, starting at the marching band practice field (west of the Lied Center and Dole Institute of Politics, near the radio tower).

I could babble a bit about what the students are trying to do, but you'd be better off watching this video they produced:

As you can see, a whole bunch of campus groups are involved. The KU Army ROTC is the main sponsor. All the funds raised go to the One Fund Boston, a special relief fund. You can enter for $15, or pay $25 to enter two people. More info is available on a website the organizers have created.

Galloway, N.J., senior Howard Ting, one of the students involved, tells me the effort started April 15, the day of the bombings. He and others were working on a group fundraising project in a communication studies class, and they decided that night to change course and organize something for the Boston victims. Within two weeks, they'd finished planning and gotten the approval they needed, which Ting said required no small amount of work.

Ting said they've got about 35 people helping to organize the event, and they're aiming to sign up about 250 runners and raise between $5,000 and $9,000. You can see more information, register for the race, donate or sign up to volunteer at a website the organizers set up, FreedomOnTheHill.com.

Now, on to the rest of your weekly roundup of KU-related events:

• From 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, the staff at KU's Natural History Museum will head over to the Red Lyon Tavern, 944 Massachusetts St., for something called "Science on the Spot: Bar Edition." They'll be using stuff one might find at a bar — limes, napkins and, yeah, booze — to do some scientific demonstrations about DNA extraction, fire, laws of motion and other concepts. It's free to get in.

• Coming Wednesday morning, 9 a.m. to noon: The final Heard on the Hill Office Hours of the spring semester. It's your last chance to tell me what you think of our KU news coverage, let us know what we should be writing about and exchange a few hugs before we all go our separate ways this summer, sniff sniff. So stop by the Media Crossroads at the Kansas Union and say hi.

As I said, it's a bit of a quiet week. At least I think so: If I'm wrong, and there's something else we should note, just add it in below in the comments. And get those KU news tips to merickson@ljworld.com as always — but ONLY IF you cannot make it to Heard on the Hill Office Hours on Wednesday even with every ounce of effort you can muster.